Adidas CEO Speaks On Ye's Antisemitic Remarks: 'I Don't Think He Meant What He Said'

In an unexpected turn of events, Adidas (OTC:ADDYY) CEO Bjørn Gulden has expressed his beliefs about remarks made by Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. Gulden suggests that the controversial rapper did not intend the antisemitic comments he made last year, The Hill reported.

These comments led Adidas and other companies to sever ties with Ye, who had also posted threatening messages against Jewish people on social media.

Gulden spoke about the incident on Norges Bank Investment Management's podcast, "Very unfortunate because I don't think he meant what he said and I don't think he's a bad person, it just came across that way.”

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Gulden, the former CEO of Puma, joined Adidas shortly after the company terminated its contract with Ye. In a recent podcast interview, Gulden praised Ye’s creativity in music and streetwear culture, expressing regret over the end of their contract.

However, Adidas maintains its stance that the decision to end its partnership with Ye was appropriate. The company anticipates over $1 billion in revenue losses after discontinuing Ye's products.

In August, Adidas announced plans to donate some profits from the high-end Yeezy collaboration to anti-hate groups. Gulden described the breakup of this profitable partnership as “very sad,” adding that such risks are part of doing business with third parties.

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Ye Image Via Shutterstock